For a Cowboys defense that finished 30th in total defense and 32nd in pass defense, it is no surprise that most of their reported top-30 visits have been defensive prospects. Still, that has not stopped Jerry Jones and the front office from exploring offensive options as well, especially with an already strong unit that could still use more versatility.

That brings us to this week. NFL analyst Ryan Fowler reported that former Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers has a visit scheduled with the Dallas Cowboys. As things stand, analysts widely project the 22-year-old as a potential TE2 in this year’s draft class.

When you look at the profile, the interest makes sense. Stowers turned heads at the NFL Scouting Combine. At 6-foot-4 and 239 pounds, he posted a 4.51-second 40-yard dash, along with a 45.5-inch vertical and an 11-foot-3 broad jump. The athletic traits are obvious. So is the upside.

The only real question is projection. Stowers is one of the more polarizing prospects in this class, largely because of his background. He began his college career at Texas A&M as a quarterback before transitioning to tight end at New Mexico State, and later refining his role at Vanderbilt.

Production followed. He put up 49 receptions for 639 yards and five touchdowns in his junior season, then elevated that with 62 receptions for 769 yards and four touchdowns in 2025. That senior campaign earned him the John Mackey Award, given to the nation’s top tight end.

So yes, the Cowboys bringing him in for a visit aligns with their need for a dynamic receiving option at the position. But there is a layer of complication here. Stowers is expected to come off the board in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Dallas, meanwhile, holds picks No. 12 and No. 20 in the first round, and then does not pick again until No. 92 in the third. There is a gap there that matters.

But he is not the only tight end on their radar. At the Baylor pro day, tight ends coach Lunda Wells and college scouting coordinator Chris Hall were both present and spent time evaluating Michael Trigg.

What stands out with Trigg is the physical profile. His 34.25-inch arms place him in the 91st percentile among tight end prospects since 2011. His 10.5-inch hands fall in that same range. And then there is the wingspan, which clears seven feet. That kind of frame is hard to ignore.

Dallas is quietly doing its homework on offensive playmakers, particularly at tight end. Whether that turns into drafting Stowers or Trigg is still up in the air. But the groundwork is there, even with the team already having a long-term option at the position.

The Cowboys are keeping Jake Ferguson through the 2029 season

Jake Ferguson was entering the final year of his rookie deal when the Cowboys moved early and signed him to an extension ahead of the 2025 season. The deal was for four years and $52 million, keeping him under contract through 2029, with a $12 million signing bonus and $30 million guaranteed.

At the time of the extension, Ferguson had already put together 149 receptions for 1,429 yards and seven touchdowns across 47 games. His breakout came in 2023, when he posted 71 catches for 761 yards and five touchdowns, still the best season of his career to date.

That extension also came after a frustrating 2024 campaign. Ferguson dealt with both a concussion and a knee injury, which limited his impact. He did not shy away from addressing it either.

“My knee hurt for sure, the concussion was weird, but I’ve said this before, if I’m on the field I should be able to give it my all,” he said before his extension. “I definitely wasn’t satisfied with how I played the whole year last year. I don’t think I’ve ever played a full season and not scored a touchdown, so that was something I came into this offseason really working on, just really tried to dial in on that and make sure I was lights out.”

He responded the following season. In 2025, Ferguson delivered the second-best year of his career, finishing with 82 receptions for 600 yards and eight touchdowns across 17 games.

Now, heading into his fifth season in Dallas, the timing is interesting. The Cowboys are actively evaluating tight end prospects ahead of the draft, even with Ferguson locked in long term.

Whether that turns into an actual addition at the position is still unclear, but it does suggest Dallas is at least exploring ways to add more depth and versatility to the room.